GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Meagan Marie Schonefeld, 40, is facing a grand theft charge after allegedly using her employer’s information to obtain a loan that left the business with a $978 loss.
According to two witnesses who spoke with a Gainesville Police Department officer, Schonefeld worked at The Releaf Clinic. The witnesses said they discovered the issue when they applied for a business loan through the company’s point-of-sale provider and were told the request had been denied because an existing loan was already tied to the business. They then learned that a loan had been obtained using the names of Schonefeld and Releaf Clinic.
The witnesses told police that Schonefeld did not have permission to apply for the loan. Because she allegedly failed to repay it, Releaf Clinic remained responsible for the $978 balance. The point-of-sale provider reportedly said the account was opened with a Gmail address that was not the clinic’s business email. The witnesses also said Schonefeld resigned after they began looking into the loan.
Investigators determined that the loan proceeds had been deposited into a bank account held in Schonefeld’s name. The witnesses and the business reportedly had no access to that account.
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Schonefeld was charged with grand theft. Her record includes three nonviolent felony convictions, including one for grand theft involving more than $10,000, as well as one nonviolent misdemeanor conviction. She also has an unspecified criminal history in Missouri and Texas. Judge Adam Lee set bail at $80,000.